Wednesday, 27 February 2013

Profile: Richard Deschatelets

In 2000, DesChatelets was the Canadian Olympic Wrestling Head Coach in Sydney, Australia. In his 26 year coaching career he has had the opportunity to coach such Olympic wrestling greats as Gia Sissouri, Marty Calder, Nick Ugoalah, Aaron Pomeroy, two-time Olympic medalist Tonya Verbeek and 2000 Olympic gold medalist Daniel Igali. In 1981 he started the Niagara Wrestling Club (now known as the Brock Wrestling Club) which has more than 200 members today.

As a wrestler, he also had a very strong resume, as he spent 12 years as a member of Canada’s wrestling team. He captured two gold at the Commonwealth Games (1978, 1982) and two silver and a bronze medals at the Pan-Am Games. In 1979 he finished in fourth place at Sr. World Championships. A year later in 1980, he defeated the Olympic champion (Canada boycotted the Games). In 1973, at the age of 19, he placed third at the Junior World Championships. As a wrestler at the University of Guelph, DesChatelets captured three CIAU gold medals and one silver.

DesChatelets has been inducted into three Hall of Fames. In 1984, he was inducted into the University of Guelph Hall of Fame. In 1993, he was inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame, and in 2002 he was inducted into the West Nipissing Hall of Fame in his hometown of Sturgeon Falls, Ont. He graduated in 1979 with a BSc degree from University of Guelph and in 1986 graduated with a MSc degree in Sports Administration from Canisius College. He has his Level IV Masters Coaching Certification.

"Richard is the winningest coach in CIS wrestling history,"said Adams. "That is well documented. What is not documented however, is the tremendously positive impact he has had on the lives of the scores of athletes that have come through the program."